To understand one’s purpose is to understand the meaning of life. Everyone has their own self-defined purpose. Because a purpose is self-defined, it can take a long time to realize, understand, and come to terms with this definition. I Am the Universe follows the coming-of-age story of a young girl who is tasked with a seemingly simple question: “Who are you?”. As she struggles to answer this question and cope with her own misfortunes, she begins to unravel the secrets of the universe and the hidden significance of normality. A central theme in this book is that everyone has a purpose that is intertwined with those who surround them.
Upon an initial self-examination, one can find themselves comparing attributes with others. Kit, a twelve year old girl, often feels extraordinarily average. After being tasked with drafting a poem that would explain who she was, she began to study herself in relation to her family and friends. Going home, she observed her abnormally intelligent brother …show more content…
“One who embarks on a voyage of self-discovery sets forth in very stormy seas. First of all, he runs into reefs and shoals labeled ‘Things I am Not’.” (29) Kit was at an age where she wasn’t quite a child nor a teenager. This shift of responsibility made it hard for her to separate herself from what was expected of her. Kit’s mother developed a brain tumor, and throughout this book, Kit’s mother grew progressively more sick. With her dad working long hours, she was left to look after her family. She grew adaptable to cooking and watching over her siblings. So what she found during her search was a malleable person who was nothing more than what people needed her to be. “I am a series of other people’s needs… Out in those heavy seas I found nothing, I had to conclude that there is no such thing as me.” (30) This mindset made her believe that she is empty, void of defining
Upon an initial self-examination, one can find themselves comparing attributes with others. Kit, a twelve year old girl, often feels extraordinarily average. After being tasked with drafting a poem that would explain who she was, she began to study herself in relation to her family and friends. Going home, she observed her abnormally intelligent brother …show more content…
“One who embarks on a voyage of self-discovery sets forth in very stormy seas. First of all, he runs into reefs and shoals labeled ‘Things I am Not’.” (29) Kit was at an age where she wasn’t quite a child nor a teenager. This shift of responsibility made it hard for her to separate herself from what was expected of her. Kit’s mother developed a brain tumor, and throughout this book, Kit’s mother grew progressively more sick. With her dad working long hours, she was left to look after her family. She grew adaptable to cooking and watching over her siblings. So what she found during her search was a malleable person who was nothing more than what people needed her to be. “I am a series of other people’s needs… Out in those heavy seas I found nothing, I had to conclude that there is no such thing as me.” (30) This mindset made her believe that she is empty, void of defining